# How to access msg object per position
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-msg-object-per-position/49950
**Category:** Dashboard
**Created:** [20 August 2021 09:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-msg-object-per-position/49950 "2021-08-20T09:37:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Chorum](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Chorum)
#### Post date: [20 August 2021 09:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-msg-object-per-position/49950/1 "2021-08-20T09:37:54Z")
Hello,
I have a payload that looks that way:
payload: array[8]
0: object
- Feldkennung: 104101
- Feldname: "Projektnummer"
- WertimFeld: "123 dummy"
I would like to access the values without knowledge of the payload object.
with `msg.payload[x].Feldname` i can get one spezific value.
I would like to have something like that: `msg.payload[x].[y]`
I have searched for a solution but i didnt find one.
maybe someone has a clue?
Dearly
Chorum
---
### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [20 August 2021 10:04 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-msg-object-per-position/49950/2 "2021-08-20T10:04:49Z")
If y is a variable containing the name then you are nearly there, just take the dot out.
`msg.payload[x][y]`
---
### Author:  [@Chorum](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Chorum)
#### Post date: [20 August 2021 11:21 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-msg-object-per-position/49950/3 "2021-08-20T11:21:13Z")
Thats my Problem, the names could change (are unknown/different amounts of variables) and thats why i would like to use the position.
---
### Author:  [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)
#### Post date: [20 August 2021 11:25 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-msg-object-per-position/49950/4 "2021-08-20T11:25:01Z")
If you don't know what the payload is how do you expect to use the values?
In other words, What are you doing with the data?
---
### Author:  [@Chorum](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Chorum)
#### Post date: [20 August 2021 11:42 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-msg-object-per-position/49950/5 "2021-08-20T11:42:07Z")
Its the answer of an "dynamic" sql query. I ask for Objectdata and get answers from a pool of different datasets.
for instance: Objecttype Tire (diamater) , Objecttype Table (H,W,D/ amount tablelegs/ color ...)
So different amount of fields and different names.
The Answer is a list of Datasets with the same search criteria.
On the list i use checkboxes to filter the objects i want to use.
After that i put them on a html document for printing.
But i only need an access to the values without valuenames. 🙂
Like with an array...
Atm i build a solution with asking for all the names to use them. But i hope there is a simplier solution.
---
### Author:  [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)
#### Post date: [20 August 2021 11:54 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-msg-object-per-position/49950/6 "2021-08-20T11:54:33Z")
> [@Chorum](#):
>
> But i only need an access to the values without valuenames. 🙂
> Like with an array
Then you need to map the results and grab the key values.
Look up `map` and `Object.values()` on the mdn website.
Something like below in a function node after the SQL node...
```auto
msg.payload = msg.payload.map(e=> {
return [...Object.values(e)]
})
return msg;
```
_(Untested/written on phone)_
---
### Author:  [@Chorum](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Chorum)
#### Post date: [20 August 2021 11:58 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-msg-object-per-position/49950/7 "2021-08-20T11:58:14Z")
Thanks !
Didnt work with map till today. I will try and will respond after that.
---
### Author:  [@Chorum](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Chorum)
#### Post date: [20 August 2021 12:09 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-msg-object-per-position/49950/8 "2021-08-20T12:09:31Z")
Works like a charm, thank you!
---
### Author:  [@Chorum](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Chorum)
#### Post date: [23 August 2021 09:43 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-msg-object-per-position/49950/9 "2021-08-23T09:43:38Z")
Hello,
i need to go a little bit more further...
With :
`werte = msg.payload.map(e=> { return [...Object.values(e)] })`
And:
`namen = msg.payload.map(e=> { return [... Object.keys(e)] }) `
i have the keys and values in different maps.
now i would like to get both in one map, so i can loop through it and get keys and values.
i tried some versions of merging the maps but nothing worked.
may be creating a new map out of the two ?
For an example of the wished structure :
From
payload: array[8]
0: object
```
Feldkennung: 104101
Feldname: "Projektnummer"
WertimFeld: "123 dummy"
```
too
payload: array[8]
0: object
```
0: 104101
1: "Projektnummer"
2: "123 dummy"
3: "Feldkennung"
4: "Feldname"
5: "WertimFeld"
```
---
### Author:  [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)
#### Post date: [23 August 2021 10:27 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-msg-object-per-position/49950/10 "2021-08-23T10:27:02Z")
That seems like an odd thing to want but anyhow, it looks like you just want to join the 2 arrays.
You can easily achieve that with the spread operator...
```javascript
const werte = msg.payload.map(e=> { return [...Object.values(e)] });
const namen = msg.payload.map(e=> { return [...Object.keys(e)] });
msg.payload = [...werte, ...namen];
return msg;
```
---
### Author:  [@Chorum](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Chorum)
#### Post date: [23 August 2021 10:55 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-msg-object-per-position/49950/11 "2021-08-23T10:55:50Z")
The result:
i could work with that solution but may be there is a solution that works not like a push?
May be there is a simplier solution for my problem, i try to formulate my problem again.
I use a SQL query. As a result i get some datasets.
These Datasets differ in amount of entrys, names of the entrys and the values.
For every dataset i want to get the sructure key:value for all entrys.
if i get everything in an array with objects like:
```auto
0: 104101
1: "Projektnummer"
2: "123 dummy"
3: "Feldkennung"
4: "Feldname"
5: "WertimFeld"
```
i can get everything i want dynamicly and in loops without knowing what kind of objects i get from my sql query...
may be i think too complicated ?
---
### Author:  [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)
#### Post date: [23 August 2021 11:18 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-msg-object-per-position/49950/12 "2021-08-23T11:18:33Z")
My point was that format is terrible. An object or array of objects is far more suited.
Try these 3 demos - see what suits you...
```auto
[
{
"id": "eb890c42660627b1",
"type": "inject",
"z": "eb3bd3ff.33367",
"name": "fake DB data",
"props": [
{
"p": "payload"
},
{
"p": "topic",
"vt": "str"
}
],
"repeat": "",
"crontab": "",
"once": false,
"onceDelay": 0.1,
"topic": "",
"payload": "[{\"Feldkennung\":104101,\"Feldname\":\"Projektnummer\",\"WertimFeld\":\"123 dummy\"},{\"Feldkennung\":104101,\"Feldname\":\"Projektnummer\",\"WertimFeld\":\"123 dummy\",\"AnotherFeld\":\"another value\"}]",
"payloadType": "json",
"x": 920,
"y": 660,
"wires": [
[
"7eb4c0d1f00403b5",
"883b851d53d857a2",
"33aead0e2507b653"
]
]
},
{
"id": "7eb4c0d1f00403b5",
"type": "function",
"z": "eb3bd3ff.33367",
"name": "what you are after",
"func": "const werte = msg.payload.map(e => { return [...Object.values(e), ...Object.keys(e)] });\nmsg.payload = werte.flat(2);\nreturn msg;\n",
"outputs": 1,
"noerr": 0,
"initialize": "",
"finalize": "",
"libs": [],
"x": 1150,
"y": 600,
"wires": [
[
"8e518250ae8f4e2f"
]
]
},
{
"id": "8e518250ae8f4e2f",
"type": "debug",
"z": "eb3bd3ff.33367",
"name": "",
"active": true,
"tosidebar": true,
"console": false,
"tostatus": false,
"complete": "false",
"statusVal": "",
"statusType": "auto",
"x": 1510,
"y": 600,
"wires": []
},
{
"id": "883b851d53d857a2",
"type": "function",
"z": "eb3bd3ff.33367",
"name": "a better way",
"func": "const werte = msg.payload.map(e => Object.entries(e));\nmsg.payload = werte.flat(1);\nreturn msg;\n",
"outputs": 1,
"noerr": 0,
"initialize": "",
"finalize": "",
"libs": [],
"x": 1130,
"y": 660,
"wires": [
[
"38e4234858c1392e"
]
]
},
{
"id": "33aead0e2507b653",
"type": "function",
"z": "eb3bd3ff.33367",
"name": "much better (keeps name+value together)",
"func": "const data = msg.payload;\nconst result = [];\nlet rowNo = 0;\ndata.forEach(d => {\n rowNo++;\n let nvarr = Object.entries(d);\n nvarr.forEach(e => {\n const nvpair = {\n row: rowNo,\n field: e[0],\n value: e[1]\n }\n result.push(nvpair)\n })\n})\nmsg.payload = result;\nreturn msg;\n",
"outputs": 1,
"noerr": 0,
"initialize": "",
"finalize": "",
"libs": [],
"x": 1220,
"y": 720,
"wires": [
[
"fd54add26e56f888"
]
]
},
{
"id": "38e4234858c1392e",
"type": "debug",
"z": "eb3bd3ff.33367",
"name": "",
"active": true,
"tosidebar": true,
"console": false,
"tostatus": false,
"complete": "false",
"statusVal": "",
"statusType": "auto",
"x": 1510,
"y": 660,
"wires": []
},
{
"id": "fd54add26e56f888",
"type": "debug",
"z": "eb3bd3ff.33367",
"name": "",
"active": true,
"tosidebar": true,
"console": false,
"tostatus": false,
"complete": "false",
"statusVal": "",
"statusType": "auto",
"x": 1510,
"y": 720,
"wires": []
}
]
```
---
### Author:  [@Chorum](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Chorum)
#### Post date: [23 August 2021 12:33 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-msg-object-per-position/49950/13 "2021-08-23T12:33:03Z")
i will try to understand the code and will respond after i tried that.
thanks!
---
### Author:  [@Chorum](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Chorum)
#### Post date: [23 August 2021 12:46 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-msg-object-per-position/49950/14 "2021-08-23T12:46:17Z")
On demo 1 & 2 i get:"werte.flat is not an function". I cant see whats wrong there.
But i learned the method .flat 🙂
Demo 3 works and seems to be the solution.
I will try that solution and will respond after that. May be tomorrow.
Thanks for your time!
---
### Author:  [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)
#### Post date: [23 August 2021 14:36 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-msg-object-per-position/49950/15 "2021-08-23T14:36:54Z")
> [@Chorum](#):
>
> On demo 1 & 2 i get:"werte.flat is not an function"
You must be on node-js V10 or below. [compatibility report](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Array/flat#browser_compatibility)
I would definitely recommend upgrading as that is EOL / out of support.
V14 LTS (or even V16) is now preferable.
---
### Author:  [@Chorum](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Chorum)
#### Post date: [2 September 2021 11:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-msg-object-per-position/49950/16 "2021-09-02T11:50:11Z")
I needed to use an other option, but i learned something new.
Thanks!
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [16 September 2021 11:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-msg-object-per-position/49950/17 "2021-09-16T11:50:16Z")
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